Players have the option to create a guard of honour, applauding teams or individual athletes as they enter the pitch prior to a match. This global custom was first observed in England during the 1950s. In recent years, Real Madrid and Barcelona have contested this tradition, each declining to grant the other a guard of honour. Numerous esteemed traditions exist in sports, particularly in football, with the guard of honour being one of them, having been a part of the game for many decades. Typically, players from both teams align alongside the match officials and exchange handshakes as a gesture of respect. However, when a team has already secured a league title, the opposing players form two parallel lines, allowing the victorious team to pass through the middle amidst applause. This act is recognized internationally as a gesture of goodwill. In Spain, the guard of honour is known as a ‘pasillo’, which translates to ‘hallway’ or ‘corridor’. This tradition is not solely reserved for winning teams; it is also employed to honor a retiring manager or a legendary player at the conclusion of their career. As the 2024/2025 Premier League season progresses, Liverpool has been a dominant force, and their supporters are eagerly awaiting the moment they will be declared champions, along with the anticipation of which team will perform the guard of honour for their players.
It is understood that the first guard of honour in English football was given back in the 1954/55 season. Chelsea had wrapped up the title with one game to go, and in their final league match away against Manchester United, they were given a guard of honour as a sign of good sportsmanship by their opposition.This was believed to be organised by arguably United’s greatest-ever manager Sir Matt Busby, who was keen on acknowledging Chelsea’s triumph. The Blues captain, Roy Bentley, said that Busby “made sure we got the full red-carpet treatment” when speaking after the match. Following this contest in April 1955, it became a regular fixture in English football for winners of the First Division title.
Although it is a regular occurrence in football, the guard of honour is not compulsory or written into any laws of the game. It is seen as a voluntary act to show respect for the achievements of another club and their fellow professionals. Before a match, the gesture is organised and agreed upon between the two teams. The footballing authorities have no part in the organisation of a guard of honour due to the lack of legislation around it.The only time that the tradition was slightly changed occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic when football games were played behind closed doors. When Liverpool wrapped up the Premier League title with seven games to spare in the 2019/20 season, every opposition team in the run-in gave them a guard of honour. However, new Premier League and FA rules made it clear that the other team were not allowed to shake the Liverpool players’ hands. This is the only time there has been a law concerning the tradition.Man Utd’s bizarre XI that received 2007 guard of honour from Chelsea – What happened to them?RelatedManchester United
There have been some famous examples of the ‘Guard of Honour’ being given in the Premier League era. Notably, there were frosty moments between Manchester United and Chelsea when the two teams stacked up league titles in the early 2000s. In Jose Mourinho’s first season as the Blues manager, he won the league with three games to spare. In the penultimate match of the campaign, they travelled to their Manchester rivals at Old Trafford as champions. On X (formerly Twitter), Gary Neville famously said that giving a guard of honour in 2005 was:”Like your Mrs leaving you and being asked to hang the new bloke’s clothes up in your old wardrobe!!”The former United defender begrudgingly applauded the Chelsea players onto the Old Trafford pitch, but they were roundly booed by the Red Devils supporters. Two years later, United won the Premier League title ahead of Chelsea. In a bizarre replication of events, United travelled as champions to Stamford Bridge for the penultimate game of the season. As a result, the favour was returned, and the United players were given a guard of honour by Chelsea. The match finished 0-0 with both managers fielding makeshift teams ahead of the FA Cup final between the two teams, which took place after the league campaign.Perhaps the most infamous guard of honour was in the 2012/13 campaign. Robin van Persie had spent eight years with the Gunners before moving to Manchester in the summer of 2012. The decision was met with hostility from Arsenal fans, and over the course of the season, the Dutchman scored 26 goals and led Sir Alex Ferguson’s team to the title.